Alexandre Obomsawin
The Crushing Feeling of Loneliness Loneliness affects everyone at some point in their lives, however people seems to experience it in different ways. The circumstances of loneliness vary from one person to another. This can clearly be demonstrated by the characters in The Book of Negroes and The Black Queen. In their different ways, Aminata, Hughes and McCrae were all confronted with loneliness. This feeling shall be explained through its causes, its effects and how these characters react to it. Firstly, the causes of loneliness can be gradual or immediate. For example, McCrae and Hughes’ loneliness are caused by a dysfunctional relationship that makes them grow apart slowly.
Loneliness becomes a bigger and bigger part of their psychological lives. However, Aminata’s struggle with loneliness starts abruptly as soon as she is separated from her parents to be sold as a slave. She loses more close friends later on. Loneliness comes back to haunt her when she loses her husband, Chekura, for example. Once again, loneliness quickly settles into Aminata’s thoughts. Even though loneliness can start off slowly or quickly devastate a person’s life, the causes are the same. Separation from loved ones creates a hole in a person’s heart which makes them feel lonely. Secondly, the effects of loneliness have certain similarities and certain differences. For example, a recurring effect of loneliness sadness. McCrae’s sadness is shown on the night of Mother’s
Day. He stares at himself in the mirror and then sticks a deadletter stamp to his forehead for revenge towards Hughes, who had been rude to him before. Aminata also feels sadness when she questions her purpose in life. In both cases, loneliness leads to sadness. However,